BehavioRx Case of the Month
for November 2000

How to Train a Dog for Defensive Fear-Biting (Part 2)

(Part 1 of this case appeared as the October 2000 Case of the Month.
Read it first in order to gain insight about the history of "Toro.")

After our first consultation, Dottie and Bill began their program of rebuilding Toro's confidence in them as leaders, which had been shattered by the physical "war" Dottie had declared through her Alpha Roll-Over/Hold-Down routines and Bill's punching the hapless dog as he lay on his side.

In order to establish leadership for Dottie and Bill, all food bait and food lure training was stopped. Instead, Toro was put on an upbeat program of around-the-house Learn-to-Earn praise and petting, nicknamed the "No Free Lunch Program." This program was first introduced back in 1973 by Bill Campbell in Modern Veterinary Practice Magazine. It forms an integral part of most of the BehavioRx Series of Behavior Correction programs available at: http://www.webtrail.com/petbehavior/bseries.html

Enrollment in a new instructor's basic obedience class was schedule for 6 weeks after our remedial program was begun. Bill and Dottie understood that 6 weeks would be required before Toro's new interpretations of his relationships would be internalized, i.e., "adopted as his own." Actually, Toro's progress was unusually fast; within two weeks he was, emotionally, his old self. He was no longer guarded with Bill, his was absolutely anxious to please Dottie. He even quit straining on the leash when he walked with her, using the 3/4 inch Sof-Touch Safety Training Leash.

They were then ready to start the Overprotectiveness program, which involved introducing him to people on the street (friends, at first), using the side-by-side technique, avoiding face-to-face meetings, which mean confrontations in dog-body language. Toro had always been a door-charger/barker when the bell rang, and also had been crated when left alone in order to stop his tendency to chew Dottie's clothing or other personal articles. The Separation Anxiety program allowed them to have him free in the house after three days. The door-charging took a week, since special set-ups with people coming to the house had be arranged, using the Barking and Unruliness BehavioRx Systems.

Toro, Dottie and Bill all attended the new obedience program under the guidance of an enlightened instructor, even though they had to travel an hour to attend her classes. Progress was both rapid and smooth.

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